Öcalan, Abdullah

Abdullah Öcalan, byname Apo, (born April 4, 1948, Ömerli, Turkey), leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a militant Kurdish nationalist organization, who became widely known as the strongest advocate for Kurdish sovereignty. As the PKK’s leader, Öcalan was also labeled a hero by some Kurds, a terrorist by most international intelligence agencies, and an enemy of the state by the government of Turkey. Öcalan, whose surname means “avenger” in Turkish, is usually referred to by the nickname “Apo,” Kurdish for “uncle.”